Fire alarm pull stations are well known and, as often required by laws and municipal ordinances, are secured to the walls of corridors and hallways in many locations throughout buildings such as schools, hospitals, and the like. In known fire alarm pull stations, a lever is provided which can be manually pivoted or pulled to set off a local or centralized fire alarm. The alarm pull stations mount on a wall and are typically color coded to be easily recognizable in an emergency.
Current pull stations are designed for hand operation, requiring the user to insert one or more fingers laterally into a recess in the pull station to grip an interior surface of the handle or lever to pull it outward, away from the housing. This movement trips a mechanical or electrical switch which activates the fire alarm.
The problem with such pull station actuators is that they may not be readily operated by the disabled. Specifically, many disabled individuals may not possess the hand or finger dexterity required for operating current pull stations. For persons suffering from quadriplegia, for example, operating current pull stations may be impossible.
Thus, there is a need for an improved pull station that can be easily and reliably operated by disabled individuals. Preferably, such a pull station will be operable without the use of hands.